Americans' Changing Lives Survey (ACL)

DESCRIPTION: The Americans' Changing Lives survey (ACL) is a longitudinal study of the relationships between aging, health, and social conditions with a particular emphasis on differences between Black and White Americans in middle and late life. The national longitudinal panel survey which began in 1987 covered a wide range of sociological, psychological, mental, and physical health items. The fourth wave of Americans' Changing Lives (ACL IV) was collected in 2002 and is part of a larger research program designed to investigate the following: (1) the ways in which a wide range of activities and social relationships that people engage in are broadly "productive," (2) how individuals adapt to acute life events and chronic stresses that threaten the maintenance of health, effective functioning, and productive activity, and (3) socio-cultural variations in the nature, meaning, determinants, and consequences of productive activity and relationships. Among the specific topics covered are interpersonal relationships (spouse/partner, children, parents, friends), sources and levels of satisfaction, social interactions and leisure activities, traumatic life events (physical assault, serious illness, divorce, death of a loved one, financial or legal problems), perceptions of retirement, health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, rest), and utilization of health care services (doctor visits, hospitalization, nursing home institutionalization, bed days). Also included are measures of physical health, psychological well-being, and indices referring to cognitive functioning. Background information provided for individuals includes household composition, number of children and grandchildren, employment status, occupation and work history, income, family financial situation, religious beliefs and practices, ethnicity, race, education, sex, and region of residence.

CODEBOOKS: The code books for all four waves are available on the network (R:\CFDR\Public\Data\Americans' Changing Lives survey\ACL\Codebook)

DATA: Waves I to IV are available on the network (R:\CFDR\Public\Data\Americans' Changing Lives survey\ACL\Data) and from ICPSR (http://www.icpsr.com/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/4690?archive=ICPSR&q=ACL).

WEBLINKS: http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR04690